Spicy Kimchi Potatoes Recipe

The humble potato makes for a tried-and-true side dish time and time again, and this spicy kimchi potatoes recipe kicks things up a notch. Not only are these potatoes full of bold flavor, but they're also satisfying enough to instantly enhance any simple entree that they're served with. Kimchi, fermented cabbage with a serious kick, is a Korean staple that instantly stands out in any dish it's in. Here we've combined it with thick, slightly funky gochujang, umami miso paste, soy sauce, and gochugaru for a layered heat with complex flavor. The potatoes go in for a quick parboil to tenderize, so when they hit the cast iron skillet they can focus on building a golden and crispy crust. The potatoes are served with a creamy garlicky yogurt to tie everything together.

Something we love about these potatoes is that, while they are meant to be more of a dinner side dish, they work well for just about any meal. These versatile spicy spuds are great paired with eggs for breakfast, stuffed into a grain bowl for lunch, or served alongside seared salmon for dinner.

To make this recipe, start in the produce aisle and pick up some Yukon gold potatoes, garlic, and scallions. Since we are cubing the potatoes before cooking them, it won't matter if the potatoes are different sizes. Our star ingredient is kimchi, so pick up your favorite type, then head to the dairy case and grab some plain Greek yogurt. We're looking for the full-fat variety here. The spiciness in this recipe comes from gochujang and gochugaru flakes, so grab those, along with fish sauce, and miso paste. Toasted sesame seeds are the topper, so add those to your cart, then check your pantry for avocado oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, salt, and pepper.

Add potatoes to a large pot of water over high heat.

Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook until just fork tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking, stir together yogurt, grated garlic, salt, pepper, and ½ tablespoon gochujang in a small bowl. Set aside.

When potatoes are done cooking, drain and set aside.

Heat the avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Add potatoes and cook undisturbed for 8 minutes, until golden and crisp on the bottom.

Stir and cook another 8 minutes, until the potatoes are browned all over.

Stir in kimchi, scallions, and remaining gochujang and cook for 5 minutes.

Whisk together soy sauce, miso paste, rice vinegar, sesame oil, fish sauce, and gochugaru in a small bowl.

Pour sauce over potatoes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat, until liquid reduces.

Remove the potatoes from heat and stir in sesame seeds.

Top the potatoes more scallions and serve with gochujang yogurt.

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There are several ingredient substitutions for the kimchi potatoes, should you decide to switch things up. To start, we've used Yukon gold potatoes, but red potatoes work well also. Avoid russets, because they won't hold up as well during the frying step. For the kimchi, any store-bought variety is good, or you can make your own. If you want to substitute the gochujang, use sriracha in the same amount. You will lose some of the fruity-funky flavor but keep the spiciness. In place of the gochugaru, crushed red pepper in the same amount can stand in. Instead of white miso paste, yellow miso is the closest swap. Red and barley miso are much stronger and pungent and not recommended for this recipe. 

If you want to make the potatoes vegetarian, swap out the fish sauce for more soy sauce or use vegan Worcestershire. In the sauce, if you don't have Greek yogurt, use sour cream, dairy-free plain yogurt, or dairy-free sour cream. You can use shallots or chives in place of scallions in this dish.

When cutting the potatoes, aim for 1-inch, bite-size pieces. They don't have to be exactly the same size, but they should be close, so they all cook evenly. Stay near the potatoes when they are boiling, and check them frequently. You want them just fork tender and not overly soft. They will be getting another chance to cook in the skillet to finish up. A cast iron skillet is the preferred pan because it holds heat well, and will provide the crispiest crust. If you don't have one, a stainless-steel skillet is the second-best option. 

Another cooking option is to roast the potatoes in the oven, instead of finishing them in the skillet. Put them in a single layer and cook at 425 F for 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway. Then add the sauce when they are in a serving bowl. This method works well, especially if you are making a bigger batch.

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